Nightmares
by dragonwrangler
Summary: Nasami's worst nightmare. Based on a challenge by Samuraiko.


**Title**- Nightmare

**Rating: **PG-13

**Characters:** Nasami, Kambei, Kyuzo, Shichiroji

**Author's Note**: Based on a challenge posted by Samuraiko.

**Disclaimer**-This story is a non-commercial work of fiction based on the anime/manga Samurai 7. Original copyright of Samurai 7 belongs to Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni, MICO, GDH, GONZO. Nasami is the property of Samurai-ko.

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_…and she can feel the katanas passing through her, can feel them sliding through bone and muscle, piercing her heart and continuing on. And she can feel them pause for an instant as they finally strike their true target- and then they continue on, sliding through her as if she no longer exists, as if she no longer matters._

_And she is screaming, screaming so loud she can't hear it, can only feel the scream's passage as it rips her throat to shreds; but she can hear the screams of the katanas in her hands, can hear Mamorimasu and Sememasu crying out their anguish as her body arches, their keen of loss and sorrow and failure filling her mind._

_And she can feel the warmth of their breath, the weight of their bodies against hers as the katanas passing through her reach the end of their journey, the impact of the guards against her body almost as gentle as the lips against her throat, against her neck; and she is trapped and lost and can do nothing as Kambei rests his head upon her shoulder, and she is trapped and lost and can do nothing as Kyuzo comes to rest against her back, and she is trapped and lost and can do nothing as they take their last breath, killed by the katanas that have passed through her body. _

_And she can only stand and scream her loss, can only stand and scream at her failure, can only stand and scream as they fall away, can only stand and scream…_

"NASAMI- SAMA!"

She come to consciousness screaming but is aware enough to know she is gripping someone hard enough they must be in pain, but is unable to let go of the anchor they offer. Her eyes snap open and she finds Shichiroji before her as she runs out of breath- the scream still echoing through her head even as she gasps for air.

He doesn't ask what is wrong, simply gathers her up like a child and lets her sob her terror away in the safety of his arms.

"What has happened?" a voice asks gravely and she tenses as she recognizes Kyuzo's voice, tenses as she remembers his death and the weight of his body against hers as Kambei's blade claimed his life.

"Nothing, she'll be fine." Shichiroji says quietly. "Just a bad night."

She can hear the wood panels of the floor creak as someone moves closer, and then they stop when another voice can be heard outside asking, "Nasami?"

Footsteps move away and she can just hear Kyuzo outside the hut the villagers gave them to use say, "She is safe. Shichiroji is with her."

"She is alright, then?" Kambei asks.

Again the nightmare assaults her- the warmth of Kambei's last breath against her throat as his lifeblood was claimed by Kyuzo's blade, and she can do nothing more than to bury her face into Shichiroji's shoulder to keep herself silent.

Shichiroji shifts slightly, and she is startled when he shouts in mock irritation, "She just needs some sleep and you two gossiping out there aren't helping any!"

She hears a soft warm chuckle from Kambei at the rebuke and she is sure Shichiroji is smiling slightly as he adds in a softer voice, "She'll be fine, Kambei-sama. Don't worry, I've got her."

There is no verbal answer but there is a sense of peace that settles around the room that lets her know that they are now alone. She starts to push away from Shichiroji but he holds her tightly as he says gently, "You're fine Nasami-sama, you don't have to move yet."

She stops struggling and simply rests; and she is not surprised when Shichiroji says, "Hard to care for two men as thickheaded as they are, isn't it."

She glances up at him and realizes he knows what she has dreamed and knows from the calm but sad look in his blue eyes that there is nothing they can do to stop what is coming.

She wants to argue with him, she wants to scream and fight and shake Shichiroji and tell him they can't let it happen. But all she can do is sigh and stare at the door to the hut.

She is samurai, they are all samurai, and they will let it happen because of who they are.

And all she can do is pray to the Goddess that her nightmare will never come true.


End file.
